Baby doesn't eat much

Sammy - posted on 12/26/2010

My doctor always told me with my first son, he should be eatting 3 meals a day plus 3 snacks a day. My youngest son is 1 year old and doesn't eat that much either. I try to get him to eat, but he just throws it on the floor too. I have noticed though he will eat if I feed him from my plate. Have you tried this technique? Best of luck

Maria - posted on 12/29/2010

I have a 13 month old son who also will eat sometime more than other times. From what I have been told, once a child reaches the age of about one, their nutrition needs drop dramatically after the first year. This is because they are continously growing at a high rate of speed in the first 12 months and then they hit a lull in their growth after the age of one and begin to grow at a much slower pace. After the age of one, their calorie intake drops to a low 900 calories, and when you think of it after breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner, then that really isn't that much food needed per sitting. Since kids need the protien, fruits, and veggies more than the starches (which also fills them up more) try to give very limited amounts of startch.

When it comes to feeding the picky eater, its proven that most children while making the switch from baby food to solids need to have it at least 10 times before they decide that they like it. Stick with it and by all means, if your child eats better from your plate share. This will also help you eat better too. After all, we do learn by example and we are the best ones that our children can have.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Lizette - posted on 01/09/2011

Hi Shannon!

My 13 month old daughter is normally a good eater. She is also very picky concerning her food. But Naemi also needs at least 30 minutes to somethimes one hour to eat. At the beginning she did not need so much time but now she gets distracted from everything, the walls, she looks down on the ground or she wants to drink something etc...

Somethimes she eats just one to three spoons of food and then refuses to eat...When I notice that I do not force her to eat forther on. Then like you I give her a bottle of milk with some oldmeal in it. But in the mornings she is very hungry and then give her often double of the normal amount of food.
But do not worry although I can understand and know how you feel about her not having enough to eat. Sometimes she is teething which I often just notice too late and that is why she does not want to eat so much.

But when she is doing fine and eats normal I give about 200g to 300g on food. This is the total amount which I weight always when I cook for her.

For example

50 g rice
100 g meat
100 g vegetable

or

1 to 2 medium size potatoe
200 g of any vegetable

or 100 g noodles
5 tomatoes for the sauce
One thing if she is not eating so much of the normal food I give my daughter always some fruits like a banana or a mango which she loves to eat and actually eats it soo fast that I think by my self "Wow I could not have eaten this faster!"

Hope I could help you with my experience.

Halima Salat - posted on 01/09/2011

Am also experiencing the same thing Nadya (13m3w) is not eating that much at dinner. My mum told me I should reduce the milk intake coz she was taking 4-5 bottles a day, so I dont give her any bottle upto three hours before lunch or supper meaning she takes only three bottles a day. It seems to be working but she is still not eating as much as she used to. She used to be such a good feeder. I feed her from my plate too coz she thinks am taking something more yummy than her food when its the same. Take the advice on fruits and yogurt, they all love it, am yet to meet a baby who doesnt.

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Mine not one to compare too... she'll eat anything and eats a LOT. More than she probably should (but she's underweight and very active so I don't mind).

What I was told is that between 12 and 18 months a child should get about 2 tb of veggies, about 1 1/2 -2 of protien and about 3 tb or a quarter to a half of a normal serving of grains (including potatoes and corn) for a dinner sized meal.

What I give my daughter to begin with for lunch for instance is a half of a peanut butter or almond butter sandwich with a side of either greenbeans or peas I would say about 5-7 green beans and about 1 1/2 tb of peas. If she asks for more than I only offer the veggie. I give fruits often with breakfast.

As for the pickiness what I noticed with mine was that she was getting bored of always having the same thing. I was giving her just peas for a month and she started to refuse them. So I gave her a break from them and re-introduced them about 2 weeks later. I now interchange veggies.

Jackie - posted on 01/07/2011

my son has a milks allergy as well so I understand where you are coming from. He also has a thing with sucking on the food I give him and spitting it back out. So he eats a lot of the Gerber foods, they make sweat potato puffs, granola bars, and veggie sticks. If I give him these things while walking around, he seems to take to them more then if he is sitting in his high chair. He's still on jar baby food too. As long as he's eating something, I don't care much what it is. My dr told me not to worry about WHAT he eats just be sure that he does eat.

Adrienne - posted on 01/07/2011

Oh, also, my kiddo is allergic to dairy, eggs, and peanuts so I feel your pain there.

Adrienne - posted on 01/07/2011

My LO doesn't eat very much right now either. I just make sure to offer a large variety of healthy foods and at least 2 of not 3 snacks a day. He still fills his diapers and is a healthy size so I try not to get to stressed. I have also been a nanny for a long time and in my experience kids will go through phases that match up with growth spurts. So, as long as you are offering plenty of food and fluids, and your kiddo is healthy and active and filling diapers at a good clip, don't get to stressed.

Katie - posted on 01/05/2011

My daughter is the same way... sometimes I worry that she's not eating enough, but I agree with the above -- they won't starve themselves!! If she doesn't feel like eating 'real food' I'll give her whole wheat crackers or puffs to munch on...

DAWN - posted on 01/05/2011

I always remember reading if they wont eat a meal, just ive them bits to pick at, if my son won't eeat a meal, i put some things on his highchair to eat himself, rice cakes, banana, corn snacks, cheese triangles, fruit purees....dont pressurise her, just offer her new tastes to try.

Julie - posted on 01/05/2011

I am very fortunate. My 13 month old son is an excellent eater. For breakfast, he eats a bowl of baby oatmeal with fruit, a snack, for lunch eat will often eat as much as me (an entire grilled cheese and half a pear, for example), and also eats whatever we eat for dinner. I will give him a whole taco, a scoop of casserole, etc. along with fruit and veggies. I do realize how lucky I am, though.

Has your daughter always been this way? I know that a lot of babies go through picky phases. If it is a big concern (like how long it takes her to eat), I would ask her pediatrician about possibly seeing a specialist. If she is happy and growing, though, she's probably getting what she needs. Good luck!

Emily - posted on 01/05/2011

I think it's more important to monitor how much they eat in a day and a week. Some days they are ravenous and others they hardly eat at all. It's completely normal. Just make sure the food available to them is nutritional and balanced.

Joana - posted on 01/05/2011

Hi! I'm Joana, from Portugal. My 14 months old daugther basicly eats everything I put on her plate, so perhaps its not a good example!! But when she doesn't I don't mind that much. But I try not to substitute the meal for anything else (like milk) so she doesn't get used to it! I also don't know the "best" quantity that a one year old should eat... most important is to know and confirm with your doctors, that they are growing as as they should, if the weight is allrigth and everytin's fine! Don't stress too much. Meals should be pleasant for the baby and not a "battle" between them and their moms. Good luck.

Priscilla - posted on 01/04/2011

My 14 month old can't drink milk right now either (the doctor said try him once a month to see when he grows out of the allergy). And some days he will eat well and other days he hardly eats. He prefers foods that he can feed himself, things like scrambled eggs, grilled chicken (in bites), corn, green beans, carrots, etc. I do worry that he doesn't go much for variety in his diet, but it won't be long and he will be eating more. He still nurses, so I don't worry so much about his nutrition, since I know he is getting a lot of what he needs there.

Oh, my doctor also said that he doesn't "have" to have milk, as long as he gets his calcium somewhere in his diet. I give him juices (watered) that have calcium added and yogurt.

Keri - posted on 01/03/2011

my daughter dont drink milk because she just dont like it

Sarah - posted on 01/02/2011

Oh and my daughter still nurses usually like twice a day and a couple times at night.... but lately I guess since she's been teething she's been wanting to nurse more than eat. :S

Sarah - posted on 01/02/2011

My 13 month old daughter has started to get much more picky than before, refusing to eat many of the foods at times that she used to love. But JUST yesterday we discovered half of her first molar tooth had poked through.... I was kind of shocked, I thought it was still early for that. It seems she prefers to feed herself... so i try to give her a lot of finger food snacks throughout the day. Dry pieces of fruity cereal or cornflakes, small cubes of cheese, sandwich meats and bread, small pieces of raw carrot or apple, baby biscuits and rusks... She sometimes agrees to have leftovers from last nights dinner for lunch... and has whatever we are having for dinner, usually rice and a meat or chicken, with yogurt and a veggie... she doesnt always eat much though, it depends on how much she likes it. I also try to feed her some fruit yogurt during the day, or whatever I have as a snack or for lunch. So basically she doesnt always have a full meal at once, but snacks throughout the day.

Also yesterday for a change I cut up half an apple in small cubes and mixed it with like a PINCH of sugar and some cinnamon and baked it for a min in the microwave, that was a big messy hit! ( I gave it to her to eat herself) Sometimes she likes bananas, or I baked sweet potatoes or cubes of sweet potato and carrot.... anyway, those are my daughters favorite foods. And her junk foods that she LOVES.... gummy bears and mnm minis, lol, but I hardly ever let her have those... hope that helps and I hope to get different ideas for foods for my baby too!!!

Missy - posted on 01/01/2011

Your 13 month old sounds pretty normal! My son is a chicken nugget lover and some days that seems to be all he wants! I still give him bottles (1/2 formula + 1/2 whole milk--about 2-3 a day). There are days my son eats well and there are days he barely eats anything. A child's serving size is much smaller than our serving size. As long as they are growing and you are offering a variety of foods, you are doing just fine!

Rebecca - posted on 12/31/2010

I am the mother of 5 and the advice that the doc has always given me is this. A baby will eat as much as they need, they will not go hungry. I agree with the other gals here 3 meals and 2-3 snacks throughout the day. A baby will eat a balanced diet over the course of a week. She will eat when she is hungry and won't starve. Just keep doing what you are doing and she will eat what she needs.

Elisabeth - posted on 12/31/2010

Aiden eats 3 meals and a snack every day. Usually he has either cheerios or rice krispies for breakfast, either yougurt and a nutri-grain bar, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or meat and vegetables mixed together for lunch and dinner, and his snack is usually puffs, animal crackers, or yogurt melts, and he doesn't eat that much for snack. He usually eats probably 4 to 6 oz of food for lunch and dinner.

Terilyn - posted on 12/31/2010

Wow this site is so helpful. Taelyn is doing the same!!! She isn't allergic but she is fickle. She wants fruit in the mornings yogart for lunch and a little dinner. But nusres well. I'm at a lost too.

Mel - posted on 12/30/2010

We also give her snacks like baby ice cakes and fruit

Mel - posted on 12/30/2010

Have you tried lactose free formula .Our girl is allergic to milk and when we tried the lactose free milk she managed to keep it down. Our girl has starting not eating much but better that she eats something rather than not at all .I've found that if you feed mushy food some of the meals Jadzia actually eats enough . We also do the thing of giving her fruit first and then a savoury meal .

Helen - posted on 12/30/2010

My son is 13 months old and eats an absurd amount of food (most days). Almost severing sizes close to what we would eat, then have a snack not to long afterwards. But then we have days where he MAY eat 5 bite fulls and refuse to eat anything else. On days where he's not eating what he should be I won't give him snacks. I don't want him thinking he'll be able to snack all day. Although he does mange to mooch from us a lot these days too.

I read somewheres too that like half a babies calorie intake is in their milk.

If you're worried that he's hungry don't worry about, babies won't starve themselves. If you're worried about nutritional needs maybe mix in stage two formula with her milk.

Carol - posted on 12/28/2010

My girl eats a lot some days and not as much on others. I find that if she does not have a bowel movement she wont eat as much, and she get more hungry after. Also, she won't eat one thing, like for instance peas, but a few days later she will like it and it all of them. I don't worry, if she eats fine, if not I just put it away and offer her food later. I find that it helps a lot when I eat at the same time and she watched me eating, sometime she wants to take the same thing she has on her plate, but she likes it out of mine.

Sammy - posted on 12/28/2010

My son eats about one tablespoon full of veggies, then 1/2 cup of meat and a tablespoon full of a starch at dinner, but he is also a boy. I have heard that girls will sometimes eat less than boys, but i also think it also depends on the parents too. This is just my opinion and from what I have experienced with my sons and my friends children. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Sarah - posted on 12/28/2010

Scarlett eats a lot some days and then hardly any on others, its frustrating but I am trying to trust she will not starve herself. She is also a bit picky when she is teething. For example some days she will feed herself 6oz of beef stew, then avo cubes and cheese for dinner, then other days she will refuse the "dinner" part and just have avo, cheese and fruit, sometimes she will have pretty much nothing. I am finding she eats much better and is less picky if I don't feed her all day, Certainly if i leave at least 2 hours between afternoon tea and dinner she eats her dinner much better.

Cathy - posted on 12/28/2010

my 13m3w old daughter is very picky when she eats. She doesn't eat that much in one sitting. I told the doctor and she told me to feed her throughout the day. I have tried it the doctor's way and she does eat throughout the day now. I offer her yogurt (loves), pieces of fruit from a fruit cup (in its own juices), crackers, cooked veggies and cheese. By doing things the doctors way, she has been eating more during the day and not just at breakfast, lunch & dinner. I still feed her at the b/l/d times but at least i know that she is eating enough food during the day. best of luck!

Shannon - posted on 12/27/2010

Well I can get her to eat 5 times a day, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. But it just seems like the "meals" are also snacks. I'm curious as to how much actual food other babies are eatting at a meal. Because I think Courtney isn't eatting enough at one sitting.